End of the Semester!

Hey everyone! Well, here we are…the end of the semester. While it seems like just yesterday we were moving in and starting school, it also feels like I’ve been here for ages! I have mixed feelings about going home. On one hand, I’m going to be sad to leave my family here. I call them that because it’s true – it’s amazing how fast your friends become family at college. However, while it’ll be hard to leave WNE and my WNE family, I can’t wait to go home for a whole month, see my family, my friends, and just have some time to relax. I absolutely love it here at WNE, and this semester has only showed me that I made the right decision to come here. I stick by my decision and fully believe I will spend all my undergrad years here. It’s an amazing place, and I’m happy to say I’m a student here. But, no matter how great the school, or how ready you think you are, your first semester of college is tough, and that needs to be acknowledged. Know that it will be tough, because it’s different than anything you’ve ever experienced, but in the end, you CAN do it, and you will.

I’m heading home back to Shrewsbury tomorrow (Sunday) morning, after an 8 AM Psychology final (hopefully I wake up in time!). My first experience with finals hasn’t been too bad. It’s definitely been a lot of studying, but I already know I got a 92 on my math final! I’ve included some pictures of a study session for my psychology final, including some pints of Ben and Jerry’s to help with the finals stress, and my friend Mindy using our psych book as a pillow instead of for studying…but I promise we did get stuff done! I’m going to sign off now, but it’s been great blogging my first year experience for you all! I hope this has helped you, even if in just a small way. I look forward to continuing with blogging next semester, but until then good luck!

Happy Holidays!

-Jen

Freshman Finals!

Yesterday, I had my first-ever college final. Just my luck, it had to be my Chemistry final! I spent ten hours studying with my friend John for this final. It was worth it to a point. Much to my surprise, the final was not nearly as difficult as I had anticipated. The final had to cater to all the Chemistry classes and was easier, though much longer, than the other Chem exams I’ve taken this semester. I wish someone had warned me about that earlier. Then maybe I would have only spent 5 hours studying and not ten!!! I still have my Calc final on Sunday and my Bio final on Monday. I also have a paper due Monday. But I’m more than ready for the challenges ahead; especially with the promise of vacation just around the corner!

I have mixed feelings about going home for a month. Though I miss many people back home, I know for sure that I am going to miss WNE and all the people here as well. As they say, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” One truly notable thing about going home: It’s going to be amazing to have home-cooked food for a month! You learn to appreciate the little things. I’ll be catching up with you all soon enough!

Cheers!
Brandi

WNE: My Home Away from Home

This semester has been a learning experience and I have definitely grown from the first half of my freshman year! I have made new friends and tried new things and I will continue to branch out and try things I have never done before. I can't believe it's almost over already! I can remember move-in day like it was yesterday, and I never thought I would be here writing about the last full week of my first semester! I can honestly say I am comfortable here and I am really glad this is where I ended up. To me Western New England University is like a home away from home. Going home for the break is going to be hard because I will end up missing my school friends, even though I get to spend time with my friends and family at home. I'm so excited to be home to relax, see my loved ones and work to save up some money! Hope everyone has a wonderful, safe vacation and see you next year!

-Erica :]

Bright Nights Ball

Around Christmas time the Spirit of Springfield puts on a magnificent light display in Forrest Park where you can drive through and listen to Christmas music, it is truly a great way to get yourself in the Christmas spirit. I was fortunate enough to volunteer at the Bright Nights Ball at the Sheraton in Springfield which is a fundraiser to help put in the actual light display. I was able to meet extremely important people, such as the mayor of Springfield, the VP of Comcast, and the owner of abc40. As a Public Relations major it is extremely important to network and put myself out there so I am able to meet as many people as possible, so four years from now when I am looking for a job I will be able to contact people for a possible interview or connection. The holidays are a magical time and Springfield really helps bring them out, so even though I cannot be with my family right now I can still have Christmas cheer with a little help from Bright Nights and The Spirit of Springfield. (Below is a picture of my friend Sarah and I volunteering at the Bright Nights Ball.)

Expect the Unexpected

Midnight Madness was this past Friday. It was really awesome and tons of fun…so I heard. Instead of attending, I went home this weekend to meet my biological older brother, Jordan, for the first time in 18 years. I am adopted and within the past 2 weeks, I have just started my search for my biological family. Long story short on how I found Jordan: Turns out he grew up (and still lives) down the street from my adopted brother’s wife and is very close with her family. So through these connections, I ended up finding Jordan and sent him a lengthy message on Facebook. He was absolutely stunned, but excited nonetheless. He started his search almost 2 years ago and was getting discouraged that no one was looking for him.
So a good friend of mine drove 2 hours out here to bring me home Friday. We drove to Jordan’s house Saturday afternoon and I finally met him as well as his adoptive family. Jordan, Brandon (my twin brother), and I spent the whole day together and it was the best feeling in the world. They also came for the ride back to WNE and got to see the University. Along with this blog, I have pictures of Jordan and I meeting and of both my brothers hanging out here. This is only the beginning because we still have at least 2 brothers (Jeremy and Benjamin) and a sister (Jerrica) to be found.
On a more academic note, classes are really picking up trying to make up the week we lost because of snowstorm damage. This weekend is going to be my busiest ever. I have a Biology Lab report, an honors paper, and Calculus homework to do along with studying for my Chemistry exam. But it will all be over soon. If I can just trek through this weekend, I will be rewarded with a much-needed Thanksgiving break!

Cheers!
Brandi

Only 16 Days Remain in the Fall Semester!!

Hey Everyone,

It has been a great last couple of weeks. After I got back from the snowstorm I had a big event, Midnight Madness which was pushed back because of “snowtober”. It was a great event! I felt like I ran around like a mad man all night, but I still enjoyed it because the seniors won for the second time. Last week before Thanksgiving I also planned a dinner for three of the larger organizations on campus: Campus Activities Board, Residence Hall Association, and Senate.

I am back from Thanksgiving break, I had a great time at home. Although my vacation was short, I am still excited to be back at school. This week will be crazy with work and a couple papers that I have due. There are only 16 days left in the semester and I am kind of freaking out because it means that I am that much closer to graduation! There is an open house this weekend so hopefully I will get to see you all there and hopefully you are all applying!!!!

Will Tomack

Thanking Western New England

It is hard to think that it is already Thanksgiving, and I am thankful for everything that Western New England University has offered me.

Where has the time gone? Even being a sophomore, it is hard to see the time pass me by like it is. I have seen so much going on at Western New England, and that’s just in the past three months! Recently the Men’s Soccer team played in the Division III NCAA Tournament hosted on our field. I have seen the football team have their best season ever. I got to witness beds being built and raced, and halls compete in Penny Wars. Midnight Madness has come and gone and now everyone is getting ready for finals that are coming up in just a few weeks.

It has been great to be back home for Thanksgiving, but I do miss all my friends that I have made back at WNE. Time just seems to fly by. I guess time flies when you are having fun, and I am definitely having fun here at WNE. There are so many things to do here that makes the college experience, even in the first semester, great. All you have to do is come and feel the atmosphere of the campus, even if it is just for one day. So finish filling out that application, and come spend a day at Western New England University!

See you on campus,
-Jason :)

Golden Start

Things are looking up for the Men’s Hockey team at Western New England University. After a few less than stellar seasons, this year is off to a great start. Working with the hockey team for my second consecutive season as the student manager, I notice a huge different in the talent and the attitude of the team. We expect to win, rather than hoping to. Thus far we carry a record of 4 wins and 2 losses. We have beaten some very good teams in Johnson & Whales University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and powerhouse Manhattanville College. This marked the first time in our school’s history that these three teams have been beaten by WNE. The team has 4 seniors, 2 juniors, with the remainder of the roster composing of sophomores and freshman. This year it’s not just 4 or 5 upperclassmen that are producing; this year we have four lines of offensive firepower and three lines of great defense all backed by solid goaltending. Expect big things in the future for the WNE hockey team.

The Kid from Cali
-Jay Thall

Breaking for Thanksgiving

It's been a busy few weeks! Since we missed almost a full week because of the snow storm, everyone is trying to catch up on what they missed that week when classes were canceled. Midnight madness got pushed back to the 11th and it was a great time! I hung out with the dance team for the night and we counted the money we raised for penny wars, ate pizza, and got ready together. The energy level was electric and it made me happy to see that many people come to support their class on a Friday night. Right now I am preparing to leave for Thanksgiving break. I can't believe the holiday season is already here! This year has gone by so fast already it's crazy. I have picked my classes for next semester already and I'm already looking forward to taking new classes for the next half of the year! Over the break I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family and eating a nice big home-cooked meal. I haven't seen my aunts, uncles, and cousins since i moved in to college, so I'm pretty excited to see all of them and let them know how college is going. My cousin and his new wife will be there as well, and I haven't seen them since they got married so that will also be a nice treat. Overall, I'm ready for this break so I can clear my head for a couple days before coming back to finish the semester strong, and seeing my friends and family is just the thing I need to keep me motivated.

Happy Holidays everyone, enjoy!

-Erica

Snowtober

Hey Everyone,

First of all, I hope that everyone is okay after the huge storm that hit New England. Hopefully, most of you have power restored. Here at WNE, the campus was hit pretty hard and all of the upperclassmen housing was without power until Tuesday morning. It was nice for some students because classes were cancelled all of last week which meant I got to go home. This was the most time off I've received due to weather in all of my time at WNE.

It was definitely nice to go home, but it is even nicer to be back at school. One event that was cancelled due to the storm was Midnight Madness. This was supposed to be on the 4th, but has been moved to the 11th. I will report on how it went in my next blog. I picked classes for the last time over the weekend and my spring schedule is awesome. I have no classes on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.

All in all, it has been a crazy two weeks and I am glad to have survived snowtober. Finally, there is an open house this Sunday and I hope to see some of you there!!!!


Will Tomack

Nightmare Before Christmas?

My fall semester has been getting crazier and crazier! During that wild snowstorm, I got stuck at my boyfriend’s house in Hampden with no power and no heat. The next morning, we still couldn’t get back to school because a tree fell on his car! Halloween wasn’t even on my mind, it felt more like Christmas! When we finally got back to campus, we were pleased to find that Commonwealth still had power. Since we got Halloween off and I didn’t have anything better to do, I decided to dress up like a zombie for the day. I actually scared some people in the dining hall, unintentionally of course. Because yesterday was so mild, we went hiking… more like bushwhacking because all of the trails were covered in fallen trees. It was quite an adventure.
Now we have come to the end of what I like to call “Halloween Vacation 2011” and we still have the weekend to relax. I still have homework to do, but it’s not too daunting. I’m very excited that the snow is almost completely melted because I really would like to enjoy the rest of the fall!

Bye for now,
Brandi

Snow...in October??

This past Saturday, Western New England University experienced an atypical October snowstorm. This wasn’t your average snowstorm. WNE, as well as the multiple towns around the area lost power. Trees fell, power lines broke, and debris quickly carried. While hanging out with my friends, we engaged in multiple snowball fights. Being from Cali, it was the first time I have been in one, so it was a personal milestone. As you may already know, having no power isn’t fun. That means no light, no TV, and no computer. It is so hard not to be technology dependent these days but it was refreshing to just talk to my friends without distractions. The electrical company worked hard to get power back by early morning on Tuesday, so we weren’t stuck in the Stone Age for too long. The good thing about all this is we got a week off from school, so I went to my cousins in Boston for a little vacation. I hope this snowstorm isn’t a sign of an early winter.

The Kid from Cali.

Jay.Thall

Halftime Show

This past weekend was friends and family weekend here at WNE. My parents came up to visit and to see me dance with the dance team in the halftime show at the football game. I have never been on any kind of team before and also have never done any type of big performance in front of a large crowd, so I was excited to have them up to see it. We’ve been working on the dance for about a month, so we were all really excited to finally show off our efforts. The Golden Bears had a really good game and the crowd was excited, and when we started walking out on the field during halftime, everyone was screaming the names of all the girls on my team. We got into an ‘X’ formation and did a kick line and everyone was cheering. At the end, we laid down in the shape of ‘WNE’ and the crowd was going crazy!

It felt good to perform again, and since I have never really been a part of a team, I really enjoyed working with everyone to make the dance look good and getting to feel proud once we got applauded. It was also great to see my parents again and spend the day with them. They got to see my first performance on the WNE dance team which made me feel proud and I was really glad that they came to support me. After we went out to dinner and caught up on everything since I last saw them. Being away from my parents for a long time really makes me appreciate them more and makes it that much better when I finally see them.

Fall Semester Keeps on Rolling

The past two weeks have been so busy but have absolutely flown by! Columbus Day weekend, my boyfriend and I went apple picking in Monson. It was sweltering outside that day and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Despite the obvious tornado damage the orchard underwent, we were still able to get a good amount of apples—you just had to know where to look. Luckily for the students here at WNE, the school also gives you Tuesday off as a travel day. So we only had a three day week. The best part was that I had no labs because of the shortened week!

This weekend is going to be even crazier. This afternoon, I am going with a group of friends to McCray’s farm for a haunted tour. I have never been before but I hope the trip to South Hadley is worth it. Also, this weekend is friends and family weekend on campus. My sister is supposed to visit me so that should be fun. I also look forward to seeing the much-talked-about “bed races” that are happening on Saturday. On the down side, I have two exams next week and a Biology Lab report and Honors paper to write. I’m still working hard to balance my studies and having fun. But I just got back my midterm report and its looking pretty good! I’ll be checking back in in a few weeks!

Best,
Brandi

Racing out of Bed

A lot of great things have been going on recently. I went home for the first time in forever and got to see all of my family and friends that I had not seen since late July. Senior year has been going great with Senate, Midnight Madness, and the Sports Management Association. I planned an outing for the entire senate to the Rolling Acres corn maze in Southampton. The planning for Midnight Madness is going well and I can’t believe that it is only fourteen days away!!! This weekend is Family and Friends weekend and there are a ton of great events run by our Campus Activities Board and the Residence Hall Association. RHA is putting on my favorite event which is the bed race. Bed Race is an opportunity for each of the residence halls on campus to build a soap box derby type bed. The actual races are across the parking lot near the campus post office. It should be a lot of fun and it is something that students look forward to each year!

It is hard to believe that I will be picking my college classes for the final time on November 4th. It seems like just yesterday that I was arriving on campus for my first day of college. My last hope is that all of you students are having a great year and that you are having success with your college search process.

Will

Falling for WNE

We’re in the middle of October, right around the corner from winter. But it is still autumn, and it is so beautiful outside. Even though this is were the semester picks up and your workload increases dramatically, there is something about this time of year that I love. The leaves start to change, the temperature cools down, and the holiday season is about to start. I always get this certain feeling that I can’t describe; it kind of makes me feel warm and calm. I think it’s the way everything looks; it is a nice stress reliever just sitting outside and enjoying the day. Being from California, we don’t really have four seasons, it just gets really hot and occasionally there are spurts of cold. This was the first time I have even gotten to experience four full seasons. This was the first time I enjoyed spring so much, having gone through a nasty winter. This is one of the benefits of going to school on the east coast, I just love walking around campus and looking at the trees, and the brick buildings give it an old school feeling. You would never think it, but this is one of the benefits of school. I love how these seasons are able to make you feel at ease when your work piles up and when there seems to be no end in sight. When you check out the picture of campus I took, I think you’ll understand why fall is the best time of year here at Western New England.

-The Kid from Cali
Jay.Thall

Making a Difference

As a lot of people will say, there is always something going on during the weekend at Western New England. This past weekend was no different. This past weekend was Make a Difference Weekend. You may be wondering what that would entail. Basically, the community service group on campus, CARE (Community Action Rewards Everyone), sets up community service projects all over the Springfield area. This was my second year participating in the event, and the second time I went to the Children’s Study Home in Springfield. The children that live at this home are no different than you and me, but they are there because they were neglected or abused back home. I got to spend time with 12 children between the ages of 6 to 12 for three hours. To them, this was the highlight of the day. Together, we got to paint pumpkins, play Pictionary, and the students even taught us some games to play. Seeing the kids smile and have a great time meant a lot to me.

You may be wondering why I signed up for this trip, or why I love community service. I enjoy giving back to the community, and CARE has those opportunities for me. Some events that CARE puts on throughout the year are Casino Night at the Holyoke Veterans Home, Halloween Dance at St. Luke’s, and my favorite, Wheelchair Soccer, just to name a few. Community service is a big part of who I am, and Western New England does a great job letting me help my new community around me.

-Jason

Columbus Day Surprise

This past weekend I went home for Columbus Day weekend. Since one of my best friends from home also goes to WNE, we drive home together and she wasn’t planning on going home until Saturday afternoon. My parents were really upset since they only had a few days to spend with me and my mom kept insisting that I “put Alyssa on the phone!” Despite the plan to return home on Saturday, Alyssa walked into my room a few minutes past five o’clock on Friday afternoon and said to pack fast because we were leaving at five thirty. I finished packing up my stuff and we were ready to go by 5:33, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I wanted to surprise my parents and friends so I didn’t tell anyone I was coming home except my best friend. When my dad called while I was on the highway (stuck in traffic), I simply told him that I was hanging out with the few people that were still at school in my dorm room enjoying a quiet Friday afternoon, and that I would see him tomorrow. I knew they were both really disappointed, which tempted me to tell them I was really stuck in traffic a few miles from the Mass Pike, but it was just too good of a surprise to ruin it. After being stuck in a long and painful line of traffic, completing a drive that normally takes two hours in three and a half we finally made it back to Carver, Ma! I had my best friend pick me up from Alyssa’s house and she drove me home secretively. She parked down my street so my parents wouldn’t notice me walking up to the door, and I crept across the street and up the drive way so my dog wouldn’t bark. I flew up the front stairs and opened the door to my house (I was praying my parents were home because I didn’t bring my house key to school with me) , and I saw my mom standing at the top of the stairs and she started crying tears of joy because I haven’t seen her since move in day.

After the initial shock of me being home my mom demanded I go see my other friends who were together Friday night. They all thought I was hanging out waiting to Skype them until the moment I walked in the door. It took them a few seconds to realize that it was really me standing in my friend’s bedroom door, but once it clicked in their minds they attacked me with hugs and screams. I had missed them so much over the last few weeks and I needed to be with them after a long stretch of six weeks without them. Saturday night we had what we call a family dinner and we ate, laughed and caught up with each other which is what I really needed. On Sunday we had a fire and watched a scary movie and laughed some more, talking about our awkward middle school days. You never really notice how much you love your friends from home until you’re away from them for a long time, and I have really grown to appreciate them because I can’t be with them all the time. Here’s a few pictures from Friday and Saturday!

Erica.